CA chief confident India will stick to its touring obligation

Melbourne, Jan 7 (UNI) Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland has asserted that he is confident that visiting Indian cricket team will surely fulfill their touring obligations.

''BCCI president Sharad Pawar made a commitment overnight (that the tour would continue) and that's good enough for me,'' Sutherland said here today.

Sutherland further suggested that the two skippers from both the sides- Ponting and Kumble- should privately talk to each other and resolve their differences.

''It's only appropriate in that circumstance for Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble to get together to talk about what differences of opinion there may be in that regard.

''I've put a call in to Ricky and will hopefully talk to him later today,'' the CA boss said.

India's tour is currently at crisis following several umpiring decisions which went against them during the match and the three-match suspension of spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was found guilty of racially abusing Australia's Andrew Symonds.

Australia and India are scheduled to play two more Tests and a triangular one-day series which also includes Sri Lanka.

Sutherland said it was not appropriate for him to discuss umpiring decisions or standards.

He was also unsure whether India had lodged a report against Australian leg-spinner Brad Hogg for allegedly using the term ''bastard'' towards one of the Indian players.